Arrest Warrant Filed In Church Embezzlement Case

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (CBS4) – A woman accused of stealing money from a church preschool in Douglas County is due in court Thursday afternoon.

Melissa Miles allegedly stole thousands from the preschool at Faith Lutheran Church in Castle Rock. Miles served as the school director during the 2011-2012 school year.

Court papers released this week indicate Miles used the money for personal expenses. There are 109 charges listed on Miles’ school-issued credit card that include bar expenses, jewelry, home furnishings, massages and seven round trip air plane tickets.

This week the Douglas County district attorney filed an active arrest warrant out for Miles for one count of theft over $20,000.

Faith Lutheran Church fired Melissa Miles earlier this year. In September they reported what happened to Castle Rock police.

“She really took advantage of some caring and trusting people,” said Jeannie Reddan, a parent of a student at the preschool.

Reddan told CBS4 when she first heard about the case she couldn’t believe it.

“It turned to disgust and sadness. It really broke my heart, to be honest,” Reddan said.

CBS4 spoke with a former business partner of Miles by phone on Wednesday about the case. That woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said Miles knows what she’s doing. She said she also stole from the business they ran together.

“I realized that she was stealing from the company that her and I owned together. What I noticed was that she paid for her wedding. She paid for travel, vacations,” the woman said.

The former partner also told CBS4 there were exorbitant personal charges made by Miles on their company’s credit card. She said she filed a civil lawsuit against Miles but went bankrupt fighting it.

Last week CBS4 checked into Miles’ background and found that from 2005 to 2009 she owned four different day care centers. There were numerous state violations at those centers during those years, including safety problems.

The Department of Human Services revoked the license for two of those centers.

Miles’ attorney had no comment when contacted by CBS4 about the story.